


The Rise of the Chosen King

by Ven_Storm



Series: Ancient War of Time [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adorable Dragons, Adorable Hatchlings, Alternate Universe, Ardyn Izunia Needs A Hug, Ardyn Izunia Redemption, BAMF Noctis Lucis Caelum, BAMF Original Character, Dragon Bonding, Dragon Bonds, Dragon Riders, Episode Ardyn Prologue Spoilers, Healer Ardyn Izunia, Magical Realism, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Regis Lucis Caelum Lives, The Author Regrets Nothing, Uncle Ardyn Izunia, Worldbuilding, dragon rider au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:53:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29297679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ven_Storm/pseuds/Ven_Storm
Summary: The world was an old and broken thing, nearly beaten into submission. A false god from a universe not ours almost succeeding in its quest of destruction, until one day in a one and a million chance Light shines bright enough for a few to find their way.The resulting events lead to more then anyone realized, an understanding that they were living in a war-torn world that is dying no matter what they do to prevent it, until one day the suppressed earns a King. One who breathes the ancient magic and rides something long thought lost.The shadow on the ground was bigger then a Zu, Regis jerked his head up something akin to horror climbing up his spine and then blinked in absolute shock. "Clarus?""Hmm?" He didn't even look up from his book.Regis reached out and closed the book before pointing up into the sky, "Is that a Dragon? A Sky King?"
Relationships: Clarus Amicitia/Regis Lucis Caelum, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Original Character(s), Noctis Lucis Caelum/Original Character(s)
Series: Ancient War of Time [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151732
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12
Collections: The Raven Clan





	1. An Ode of Remembrance

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I am alive. I'm sorry about my absence. If ya'll want to hear about everything feel free to join the discord server, it has my writing there and soo much more.
> 
> https://discord.gg/CJxtdx5

Time was unending. The only power in creation that truly didn’t care of the mortal or semi-immortal beings wailing in his ears, didn’t care that as he let the world age as his siblings waged war, and the mortals as infallible as they are. Forgot. 

The longer time went on they forgot that their world was once so much bigger than how they see it. Let time wear away everything they had fought so  _ hard _ for, let the knowledge and the magic erode away like the earth does with water after time, and truly it all comes back to that. Mortal knowledge being eroded away by time, because we mortals were too stupid to think of ways to save all the knowledge, and too arrogant to think it would all last forever.

Most of which was a lie, Magic the immortal energy that gives power to time and creation, to order and chaos, could not be eroded. 

That did not mean it could not be locked away, kept from the beings it had so adored to the point it gave them access to power beyond even the imagination of the eldest of Magic’s children. Magic had been, is still, an integral part of the world, an energy of unlimited potential where the only limits were the imagination and creativity of the user themselves.

And Magic locked away as it was; had no way of reaching its mortal creations had no way of stopping the unjust erosion of their knowledge and progress. 

Until now. 

In our age of digital technology, and a thirst for knowledge. With our need to have and preserve it, made way for people who dug deeper than those before them, and found so much more than they expected.

Now with these few people now armed with knowledge of what was taken from them, set out to try and help what they now knew to be a war-torn world. From there it was only a matter of time and this had what we mortals call.

_ A Butterfly Effect _ . 

There was no time-travel. No wronged person deciding that their fate was not one they deserved, nobody demanding a second chance to make things right.

Just one world in the infinite  number of alternate realities,  _ getting it right _ . 


	2. Noctis I

_ The towers of the citadel rose high into the sky the white marble and silver metal work gleaming in the evening sun, and it is here on the public rooftop garden that everything that was falsely built comes toppling down into a pile of shards. _

_ The auburn-haired woman huffed as she slid down the oak tree, unaware that Noctis was watching her from his seat under one of the border willows, he can only blink as the woman starts to cry with her laughter. He considers for but a moment before hopping up off his bench, setting aside his book, and tentatively walking forward to her, and being the  _ _ inquisitive _ _ child he was, he just taps her on the shoulder. _

_ The woman jolted as she turned to him, clutching her odd shaped pack close to her chest before relaxing slightly at the sight of him, “You startled me kid.” _

_ Noctis shrugs, his shoulders hiking up just slightly as he frowns noting that she doesn’t relax her grip on her bag. “You look sad.” _

_ She starts a bit more at that, wiping at her tears. “Well kiddo. I am.” _

_ Noctis sits in front of her, his hands coming to rest on his knees, “Would you like to talk about it?” _

_ She laughs, a broken sound that tears at Noctis’ guts, “I don’t suppose I have anything else to do. Might as well share my story,” she looks closer at him her eyes shining a little in the evening light. “You want to hear a story?” _

_ Noctis nods, his black un-styled locks swaying with his head, “I don’t hear much stories anymore, dad’s too busy being King, and Ignis is, well he’s not a fan of stories.” _

_ The woman inhales sharply before swallowing, “You can call me Tira, and.” She purses her lips eyeing him for but a moment before handing him the bag. “Don’t open it yet, but this is for you. I want you to open it after my story, okay?” _

_ “Okay Tira,” Noctis gently sets the bag into his lap, shifting into a more comfortable position and looking up at the sad woman who wanted to share what she knew to be her last story. _

Noctis jolts slightly from the dream with a warm snout pressed into his side, pushing at him every other second, Ven huffed as he woke and Noctis sits up rubbing at his eyes as he tries to push her head away, “ Astrals , Ven. I’m awake you can stop now.”

Ven lets him push her away with a huff and a chortle, steam rising from her nostrils as Noctis stumbles up to stretch properly. “Shut up you over grown cat lizard.” He hisses, trying to flap her away to do her hunting before pre-dawn struck and she could be spotted.

Ven hunkers down a little, “No Ven,” Noctis sighs. “I can’t go hunting with you this morning,” he gestures towards the direction of the town. “I have something to deal with remember?”

She hisses at him and he swats her shoulder lightly, “Just remember to return to the cave once you're  done, please.”

He walks away as she huffs. Picking his way out of the cave that has been their home for the past few months, he pauses only slightly, his seventeenth birthday was tomorrow, which would explain why he dreamt of  _ her _ . Tira, the woman who started his path, and the one of whom told him to run before. He swallows and shakes his head, now was not the time to remember that.

For but a moment he wonders if his father misses him, if Lucis thinks he’s dead, sometimes it makes him wonder what would’ve happened if he had stayed, Ven butts him in the middle of his back and that train of thought dies just as quickly as it started. He ducks out of the cave Ven sliding out behind him, she’s slowly starting to get  too big for the cave, soon perhaps she’ll be strong enough for him to ride longer distances then just her hopping around to get used to his weight.

He turns to rub down her neck, “Please do not agitate the Red Giants today.” He looks into her eyes, “The last thing I need is people questioning why the Giants are screaming.”

Ven huffs steam into his face a few times and he smile’s at her gently, “Atta girl.” He pats her neck a few times before stepping back in order to give Ven room to take flight, her growing wings stirring dust and flattening the sparse grass, she had burned most of the grass away but a few patches had stubbornly remained.

He watches her fly away before turning around to make his way towards the town of the lost continent he found a while back. An abundance of daemons living peacefully with the lands residents was enough to leave him wondering what was happening here, and wondering if perhaps they had answers to his questions, questions Tira had left him with.

Why was this one small continent capable of living with the daemons when the rest were aggravated, and hostile everywhere else? Did they know of the Triad gods? What of the  Hexon Mythos? 

He darted around a few fire Bombs, the lessons from the  _ mainland's _ still in mind, the last thing he needed was another scar, another thing for people to question how he survived. He reached the trail after skirting around a few more groups of daemons, a horde of goblins and a pack of slime, and he turns to make the twenty-minute trek to the town. 

Nothing as big as  Lestallum and definitely not as big as Insomnia, yet bigger than Galdin Quay, and it was the closest form of civilization from the beach he arrived at, and Noctis needed some answers and he hopped maybe they could answer at least some.

He pulled a clean coat from the Armiger, something he had learned how to use  throught trial and error, and pulled it on the closer he got to the village, the last thing he needed was people eyeing his bond mark. He entered the slowly rousing town with the caution of a  Spiracorn , too many bad situations in other places making him wary of strangers, ready to bolt if one of the residents showed even a hint of hostility. 

He was looking for answers not trying to die, one of the more awake residents looked at him confused, “Hey. You!” He yelled, catching the attention of all those out and about and Noctis tenses, the man points at the trail behind him. “Did you come from that way?”

Noctis blinks at the man, “Uh,” Noctis starts and looks behind him before rubbing at the back of his neck, “ Yes..? ” He returns his attention to the man who looks nearly as confused as Noctis feels. 

“How?” He questions. 

More of the townspeople start to approach looking at him with the same wariness he feels for them. Noctis pauses, backing up a few steps as the townspeople start to cluster around the man who spoke to him first, some muttering angrily and Noctis tenses, "What do you mean ‘How’?”

The man holds out a hand to the people behind him, the townspeople pause in their approach and quietly settle behind the man. The man proceeds to rubs a hand down his face aggressively, “You’re not from here, are you?” His tone indicating tiredness and  annoyance .

Noctis steps back a little further at the question and tone, squinting at the man front of him, debating if he should answer or just go. Trying to decipher if the actions of the people are worth the information he needs, “...No. Is that a problem? Because,” he points back behind himself. “I can leave the way I came.”

The man starts at that after watching Noctis backup and his mouth is starting to thin, “No! No.  Ooh’kay .” The man sighs and holds up his hands looking like he’s trying to settle a cornered animal. “How long have you been alone kid?”

Noctis runs his tongue over his teeth and feels an eye twitch a little, “A good amount of time, I think it’s almost been a full ten years now.”

The man’s lips thin a bit more, a shadow crossing over his eyes and the people behind him hiss to one another. “How old are you?” Something in the man looks as though he’s wising for something.

“I turn seventeen tomorrow.” Noctis answers, running his tongue over his teeth again, pressing against his fangs as the people skitter and start to whisper at each other angrily even more so then before.

The man inhales a bit, looking very much like he is praying for strength. “Okay, okay.” He nods and looks at Noctis, “Follow me please. I’m going to take you to see the Chiefess.” He gestures for the people behind him to move, “She will probably be of more help.”

Noctis presses his lips together and is unsure if that last sentence was for him or for the people who were trying to get the man's attention, Chiefess? Noctis mumbles, slowly and warily following after the man and watching the people around him just as much as they watch him, he glances at the man’s back. “Is there something I can call you by?”

The man snorts out a laugh sounding like he’s lost his mind a while back in the conversation, “  Hekyr . What of you kid, you have a name?”

Noctis’ eyes glance from the back of  Hekyr , who was still walking and then bounce from the people around him to the buildings, blinking as color assaults his synapses, he licks his lips and returns his attention to  Hekyr , “Noctis,” he pauses for a bit, quietly debating if his full name is both worth it and  necessary , “Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

Hekyr pauses and spins back to face him the look on his face makes Noctis jump back a good three feet, the people around him skitter at his words as well.  Hekyr looks as though he’s ready to march up and shake Noctis by the shoulders, “Caelum you said?!?”

Noctis considers for a good minute just what hole he’s dug himself into now before he answers warily. “Yep. That’s my name.” He wonders if the people here have heard of him, if this continent isn’t as lost as he thought it was. The whispering behind him picks up louder and Noctis really considers running for it, something of his thought process must show on his face since  Hekyr holds his hands out again.

“Sorry kid, you just surprised us.”  Hekyr tries to smooth his emotions off his face waving away the people who had started to approach again, and turns to keep walking.

“I surprised you?” Noctis asks deadpan. “Really?” He sighs, absently remembering that his father is still trying to find him. He scrubs a hand down his face and glowers at the sky before he continues to follow Hekyr. “If I come to find anyone has gotten into contact with my father I’m going to run. I don’t have all the information I need yet, and I’m not looking forward to being locked away in the castle again.”

Hekyr just looks back at him confused mouthing the word King as he shares a look with someone they pass, the person shrugs and they move on. Passing by what looks to be the communal garden, “Okay. Let's.”  Hekyr inhales once more his shoulders drooping as they walk,  “Let’s just go speak with the Chiefess.”

Noctis nods eyeing a moving plant with suspicion and skirts around it when it snaps at him slightly, he hears some stifled laughter behind him and he flushes, “That sounds like a good plan.”

Hekyr sighs softly, gently waving and asking people to move as they continue walking in relative silence for the next three to five minutes, Noctis isn’t entirely sure. He keeps getting distracted by the apparency of the town, he’s seen vibrant colors before just not some many in one place. He debates asking  Hekyr a question, chewing on his lower lip before deciding to risk it. “Do all the colors have a meaning or do your people just like bright colors?”

Hekyr glances at him over his shoulder, “All colors have meanings, some people choose to either forget what they mean or change them. Why do you ask?”

Noctis self-consciously tugs his jacket closer around his form, “No particular reason then curiosity, I’ve heard that some cultures have colors that mean something to them. He glances at the green and brown hut they pass missing  Hekyr’s narrowing of eyes at his jacket.

They pass a few more colorful huts and a few stalls of food before  Hekyr stops before what must be the most colorful building in the town and Noctis eyes it with awe and a bit of suspicion, knowing there was a possibility that their meanings of color might differ from his. Noctis looks at Hekyr who gestures Noctis to the door. “The Chiefess is inside, go talk to her.”

Noctis eyes  Hekyr , his finger curling and his shoulders re- tensing . “Are you not coming in with me?”

Hekyr shakes his head, a frown firmly on his face, “No kid. I need to go get sleep,”  Hekyr blinks at him before tilting his head, “Probably should stop calling you kid, I’m not that much older than you. Anyways, the Chiefess won’t bite unless you mean harm, and from what I saw on the walk you don’t mean to do us harm.”

Hekyr glances at the door and looks around them for a bit, “Good luck though, the Chiefess has been a stressed woman lately.”

Noctis’ lips thin as  Hekyr says good luck and he nods squaring his shoulders before walking up, his steps light on the colored wood and he knocks on the door sharply, trying his best to draw up all that he remembers of his princely tutoring.

A woman’s voice rings out, “Come in!”

Noctis inhales and opens the door revealing a short woman with vicious scars and steps through the threshold, the apparent Chiefess looks up at him her mouth a grim line and her eyes  guarded , “And you are?”

He swallows  Hekyr’s warning the only thing keeping him from bolting, “Noctis ma’am.”

Her jaw ticks, something close to annoyance crossing her face as he speaks, “I am no ma’am, no need to call me that. Who lead you to me?”

“A man named  Hekyr ,” Noctis stays standing in front of the door his spine  ridged as she silently judges him with her eyes.

“ Hekyr wouldn’t lead just anyone to me, so. Out with it, what’s your name boy. Either the full version of the real one.”

Noctis blinks not expecting the demand and nearly spits his name, “Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

The Chiefess pauses and glares at him, leaning up from the table she was leaning on and Noctis can feel the temperature in the room dropping by a few degrees, “Did I ask for you to bullshit me boy?”

Noctis inches back the sharp words coupled with the obvious usage of ice magic send his flight mode into near full gear. “No, you asked for my name. I gave you it.” Noctis presses a hand against the door behind him.

She inhales sharply, “You’re not lying.”

Noctis shakes his head, the more curious part of him wondering why she sounds so shocked, and she turns back to what Noctis notices now to be a war table. “A Caelum? At this time?” She looks back up at him and gestures him to the chair across from her, “Sit. We have much to talk about.”

Noctis carefully moves to the chair, his eyes jumping around the interior as he moves. He listens as the Chiefess mumbles under her breath waiting for her to readdress him not willing to interrupt and end up with a slight case of hypothermia. He sits in the chair gingerly, sitting on the edge of  it stiffly.

“Boy.”

Noctis’ eyes snap back to the Chiefess, “Yes?”

She sighs as she eyes him back, “I have no intention of hurting you, you can relax.” She leans against the table and tiredly rubs her eyes, “You can call me Vel.” She looks back towards him her hands falling on top of the map he doesn’t know where to begin to decipher, “And we have much to talk about.”


	3. Interlude I: Cid

Cid leveraged himself up his joints protesting not that he cared, he wasn’t going to eat dinner with the news of the prince  _ again _ . As he had for the last ten years in a row, Cindy barely glanced as he left glaring down into her food as the same spout of words rang out from the radio.

“Don’t squash the Kings hope paw-paw.” She glances at the radio her finger tightening around her fork, “It’s all he has left.”

Cid sighed, still fishing out his phone from his pocket. “I know, but someone still needs to talk some sense into him and I know the perfect person for the job.”

Cindy frowns her eyes moving to him from the radio before moving back to her food, “Good luck.”

Cid leaves making his way to his chair in front of the garage, clicking his way through his contacts as he sits. Hovering over Clarus’ number for a minute, the loud message from the radio playing in the background, it was high time they started lessening the times it plays. Most of the Lucian populace already believed the Prince to be dead, Cid sighs pressing the call button.

He listens to the ring with a heavy heart, absently listening to Cindy help clean up in the diner. 

Clarus answer the phone with a sigh, “ _ Cid, what are you calling me for?” _

Cid just rubs his head can already feel the headache coming on, “The news broadcast Clarus, it’s been almost ten years and still nothing has been found. Most of the people out here believe him to be dead, can you see if you can get the  number of times, it play’s out here to lessen?”

“ _ Not going to ask me to completely stop it?” _

“No, Clarus. Reggie’s hope that his boy still lives is the only thing keeping him going.”

Clarus laughs echoes over the phone, “ _ You think it’s just hope? Cid. The  _ _ Astrals _ _ themselves have spoken up claiming he’s not dead.” _

That stops Cid in his tracks blankly staring into the daemon horde across the road. “The  Astrals ? Themselves?” Clarus just laughs at him clearly trying to keep  a hysterical edge from his voice.

“ _ Yes Cid, the thrice damned  _ _ Astral’s _ _ themselves.” _ There’s a pause and Cid can hear Clarus moving about, “ _ But, I’ll see what I can do to lessen the broadcast outside of Insomnia. Regis doesn’t want news of the  _ _ Astrals _ _ confirmation escaping the Royal family and into the news. So.” _

Clarus leaves the sentence hanging and Cid nods even though Clarus can’t see him. “Not a word, I know.” Cid pauses neither him nor Clarus saying a word for a minute.

Cid sighs, watching Cindy wander to the edge of the lights for the ninth day in a row, “Thank you Clarus.” He watches as his granddaughter toes the line of light, “Can I ask you of one more thing?”

“ _ Sure. What is it?” _

Cid frowns at Cindy’s back, “Can I send you Cindy? She’s not fitting well here  anymore; she’s grown  too big for the Hammerhead. Will you watch over her for me?”

“ _ Of course, Cid, Cindy will have a home here. I have no doubt Iris will adore her.” _ There’s a loud clattering from the other end of the line, and Cid’s shoulder’s drop is relief.

“Thank you, old friend.”

Cid hangs up and watches Cindy just stand at the edge of the light staring into the distance of the land of nowhere. Somewhere in his gut he feels he’s going to regret this, and yet he cannot keep her here if she doesn’t want to be here anymore.

“Cindy!” He calls gesturing her over when she looks at him.

She comes to stand before him, her eyes still wandering to the horizon. “Yes paw-paw?”

“Go pack yourself a bag.”

She jerks towards him, “What?”

“A bag,” he says shooing her towards her room. “You leave for Insomnia in the morning.”

Cindy inhales hope shining in her eyes. “Thank you, paw-paw. I’ll come back.” She nearly runs to her room.

Cid sighs, feeling his age as he watches his granddaughter go. “I know, you’ll always come to visit.”


	4. Hekyr I

He watches as the kid, teen, walk up the stairs. “Why do you look like you're marching to war?”  Kyr shakes his head and turns around waving away the people who had followed them from the forgotten trail, his mother would tell them how it came to be a Caelum arrived from the shrouded path.

Sera glared at him from her spot on the garden fence and he glares back, “What do you want bitch?”

She snorts, “You were very chatty with the stranger,” she looks around. “Something of which you are not with us, you’re people.”

Kyr sighs unable to explain the energy he could feel when around Noctis, that’s what he said his name was,  Kyr had meet his eyes and felt a pull he had not before. Something about that boy was going to turn his world upside down and just meets Sera’s eyes. “So.”

He nods a good morning to Old Tan as she heads to the healing house, “I talk to plenty of people.” He turns his eyes back to Sera, “Just not to you.”

Sera bares her teeth at him and turns to walk away and  Kyr feels his shoulders slump further, he was too tired to deal with her. He continues on his path to his house, intending to get some sleep. Last night’s guard duty was extremely tiring, there were three attempted sneak ins from the Vixren Clan and  Kyr really just  wants to fall into his bed.

He reaches his little cabin, with his little rooftop hideout, he built a few years back walking in and relaxing completely, no one would dare intrude here except his mother. He shrugged off his outer coat the black material falling from his shoulders and he kicks off his shoes, a bath sounds really nice at the moment.

He pads to his bathing room tugging off the rest of his clothes once he enters, for a moment he wonders how Noctis is faring with his mother, before  Kyr shakes the thought from his mind, he just met the boy. He fills up his tub with water heating in with a little pyro magic and hopping in to scrub down. Fully intending to be done in five minutes and then going to bed, he’ll eat something in the morning. Well, his morning, he’s got another night guard to do.

Draining the tub is easy as he hops out grabbing his towel to dry off as he heads for his bed, he pulls on some comfortable gray pants and a loose dark blue shirt. Ready to climb into the comfy  piles on pillows on his bed when a knock comes at his door.  Kyr hangs his head with a sigh, his damp hair clinging to the back of his neck, “Mother if that is not you, someone is going to die.”

He slowly makes his way back to the door and opens it to reveal his mother and Noctis.  Kyr leans against his doorframe his door against his back, “Mother. How can I help you?”

His mother just smiles at him pleasantly and bodily tugs Noctis forwards, who looks like he’s about to panic again and it twists something in  Kyr’s gut, he sends his mother a scowl and she just  smile’s at him in return, her eyes gleaming like she got the answer to a question she didn’t ask. “Noctis here needs a place to stay for a bit, you’re the only person with some free room to house someone.”

Noctis begins to panic then his blue eyes shining brightly in the sun as he moves, “What!?” He tries to tug free his arm, “That’s not necessary, I’ll be fine.”

“Nonsense, when was the last time you slept in a bed?” His mother returns, gently pushing Noctis towards Kyr.

Noctis looks at him like a  Spiracorn in head lights, and  Kyr just smiles something soft and gentle at him, “There is no getting her to change her mind once she’s made it.” He opens the door wider for the younger boy, “Come on in.”

His mother smiles once more, the corners of her lips gaining a sharp edge, before turning to walk away both  Kyr and Noctis watch her go, Noctis at least has the smarts to wait until she vanishes back into her house before looking at  Kyr with his mouth pressed into a thin line. “Really I’ll be fine out here.”

Kyr snorts and grabs the neck of Noctis’ jacket, the color was a little worrying even though  Kyr doubts he has and sort of symbolism within the culture he came from. “I have no doubt, but my mother is right. When is the last time you slept in a bed?”

Noctis flails as he’s dragged into  Kyr’s house, squawking as he tries to keep his feet under him as they move. “About eight months ago.”

“Eight? Yeah, no my mother is right. You can stay here, I don’t mind.”  Kyr closes the door behind them, trying to ignore the fact that with the younger boy in his house something in his chest feels as though it has loosened.

Noctis looks up at him, his eyes guarded and still glowing, “You don’t mind?”

Kyr snorts walking back into the rest of the house, “If I minded do you think I would say  otherwise .”

“Right...” Noctis follows him on light feet, making no sound.  Kyr wanted to kill whoever did that to him, something of which surprised him as he barely knew the younger. Kyr showed Noctis to the kitchen and living room, “Here you can find food.” Kyr continued walking showing him the bathing room next, “The tub is easily warmed with some pyromancy.”

“You mean fire?” Noctis questions, sounding confused, “Or Fira?”

“Yes,” he continued walking, making a mental note to ask him more about whatever Fira is later. “I mean fire. We call it Pyromancy. If you’re proficient enough in it you’d be named a Pyro Mage.”

Noctis scratches his head, still looking confused but seemed unwilling to question further. “Okay.”

Kyr showed him the bedroom next, “This is where we’ll sleep,”  Kyr stops to yawn. “Of which I will be doing soon I have the night shift currently.”

Noctis blinks at him, “Hekyr?”

Kyr pauses him there with a grimace and a raised hand, “ Kyr is fine. Nobody sane calls me  Hekyr , apologies should’ve given you my proper name, my only excuse is that I am extremely tired.”

Noctis nods, his lips twitching slightly. “I understand, and by all means please call me Noct. I think I’ve been called by my  entire name enough for the day.”

Kyr feels his lips twitch in a smile, “Right then, Noct. What is it you’d like to ask?”

“Oh,”  Noct shifts a little on his feet, “I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about your culture, maybe share some mythos.” He makes a face, “And perhaps your magic,” he looks at his hands clenching his fingers a bit before looking back up to Kyr. “I haven’t had someone to talk magic with for a while.”

Kyr starts slightly at the magic part before shelfing the automatic worry at the look on Noctis’ face and snorts “Sure, after you’ve talked with mother again. I have a feeling you and her are not done talking?”

Noctis nods with a confused look on his face, “Something about ‘A group of trouble makers.’” He then shuffles back a few steps, “I’m going to be, do you have a back area that’s private?”

Kyr points at a set of stairs and the end of the hallway, “Little roof-top area.”

“I’ll let you sleep,” he points to the stairs. “I’ll be up there.”

Kyr just nods and watches as  Noct moves away, shoulders tense. He pauses and looks back at  Kyr , “Your mom wants to see me again in a few hours so I’ll likely not be here when you wake.”

Kyr just shrugs. “I kind of figured, from what you said she’s off dealing with the Nichen.”

“Still don’t know what that means,” Noctis mumbles as he walks up the stairs, “Sleep well!”

Kyr shakes his head amusement vert prominent, turning around heading to bed collapsing face first into it.

“ _ Kyr _ _ ,” the person speaking shakes his shoulder. “Up with you, sleepy head.”  _ _ Kyr _ _ rolls over swatting away the person shaking him. The man laughs at  _ _ Kyr’s _ _ actions. “Alright, more for me.” _

_ Kyr _ _ cracks open an eye, looking at a much older  _ _ Noct _ _ , and huffs. “You wouldn’t.” _

_ Noct _ _ hums, “Maybe. Maybe not, Ignis made food.” _

_ Kyr _ _ inhales and lunges for  _ _ Noct _ _ pulling him into the blankets, “You will not.” _

_ Noct _ _ laughs again, light and free so unlike when  _ _ Kyr _ _ first met him, “I won’t.” The way he says it sounds like a promise, and  _ _ Kyr _ _ grins. _

Kyr wakes with a gasp the last of the evening light falling over his eyes. He sits up the dream still vivid in his mind, and he wonders just what his path is now it’s been a while since he’s had a dream. The first one since  _ then, _ and on the same day as the Caelum, that Noct, arrives from the shrouded path.  Kyr knew the boy was going to turn his world upside down.

Kyr sighs and runs a hand through his hair getting up to get dressed for his watch, he stumbles out of the room once he’s changed into his pants and pads into the living room tugging on a fresh jacket for the night and searching for his shoes to tug on before heading out the door, which he finds put neatly by the door a complete contrast to how he left them, he pulls his shoes on with a hum and walks out of the house.

Kyr closes his door and had made it to the street, yawning as he slowly makes his way to his station, when a roar echoes out from the direction of the shrouded path, it is quickly followed by an inhumane screech that sound vaguely like metal being torn apart. The door to his mother’s cabin bursts open and Noctis comes careening down the steps.

“VEN!” He roars, a loud annoyed sound, and  Kyr feels his eyes widen because he would swear, he saw fangs, and then his eyes proceed to widen further as shimmery blue fractural crystals form around him, people scatter away from him as he pulls out a small dagger, more shock then fear because that dagger won’t do  any harm to any of them. 

Kyr watches as  Noct hurls the dagger down the street, the small weapon going further then  Kyr expected. People scatter further into the houses that line the side of the road when he disappears after the dagger, the crystal fractals and some dark blue after magic streaking down the road, shock ripples among them as the boy uses a completely new form of magic, something so different from their own.

Kyr’s mother appears in the door way of her cabin, her face free of any true worry. She honestly looks excited as she meets  Kyr’s eyes and she shoos him in the direction Noctis went. “Kyr! Go with him!”

Kyr sighs and runs after the streaks of blue just barely catching Noctis before he crosses the shrouded border,  Kyr pinched Noctis’ jacket between his forefinger and thumb just as Noctis throws the dagger once more. The next thing  Kyr knows is dark and blue and the feeling of being sucked through a straw before stumbling into Noctis’ chest when the boy turns around. 

Surprise showing on his face. “Woah,” Noctis states his hands coming up to  Kyr’s shoulders to steady him as he wavers. “Okay, okay easy.” Kyr leans into Noctis as  Noct leads him to the ground, “First time warping is not fun, if you feel the need to vomit do so. Holding it in after the first warp isn’t healthy.”

“What the fuck is a warp?”  Kyr questions gagging slightly.

Noctis turns him a little, “Let it out.”

Kyr shivers in the hold Noctis now has him in and follows Noctis’ command to let it out, leaning over to relieve his stomach of the upset acid that burned his throat on the way up. Noctis rubs his back, “There you go. A warp is what we just did, a fast form of travel using magic, it can also be incredibly draining for most people.”

Kyr leans back up wiping the back of his mouth, another roar echoes around them much louder than the first before he could ask anything further about this ‘warping’ and Noctis sighs, “Cover your ears the screams of the Red Giants get worse the closer you get.”

Kyr does so just before the screech of metal comes crashing through the trees, the sound almost physical as it forces itself past  Kyr’s form, once it ends Noctis helps him stand. “Can you walk?” He ask’s, his hands still holding him up and keeping him steady.

Kyr shakes his head first to get rid of the ringing and then nods to Noctis, “I think so.”

“Good.” Noctis nods, wrapping an arm around  Kyr’s waist. “Now let’s go get Ven to stop irritating the Red Giants and then we can get you back to the village.”

Kyr nods, leaning on Noctis, his mental list of questions growing larger. He then settles for one, “Okay. Who is Ven?”

Noctis presses his lip together and looks down the trail, “My best friend, sometimes my other half. I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

They start walking down  the trail, “Careful of the Fire Bombs, it’s not fun to deal with the aftermath of their explosions.”

Kyr shakes his head, “What are Fire Bombs?”

Noct just looks at him, “You know the glowing balls of mean.” He then proceeds to point at some floating balls of living fire, that just emerged from the ground, and Kyr just stops dead.

“ Noct , what the fuck are those?”

Noctis glances at him confused, “Fire Bombs. One of the more annoying daemons.”

Kyr just blinks at the Fire Bombs and then at  Noct somewhat stupidly. “Daemons?”

“Yea, you know.”  Noct gesture with his free hand, “The victims of the Star Scourge.”

Kyr inhales, “I think we have more to talk about then you think.”

Noctis just tilts his head down, “Yea I’m getting that feeling.”

Noctis leads him around the boarder of the grove the Fire Bombs float around trekking down the path for a few minutes coming to another more burned-out grove where there sits with its wings flared, a dragon. The red giant things didn’t even catch  Kyr’s attention as he stared shamelessly at the being of legend.

“Ven,” Noctis calls. The dragon looks over at them with the call, a croon vibrating from its chest as it  sees Noctis .

The dragon flaps  its wings at the red things and hops towards them,  Kyr tumbles backwards dragging at  Noct , “We need to go.”

“Woah!”  Noct stops him from going anywhere with an iron grip around his waist,  stronger then  Kyr would’ve thought he’d be, and the dragon comes to a stop before them its head coming down and to the side to look at them and it croons again.  Noct nods at the dragon, “This is Ven.”


	5. Interlude II: Ardyn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Luna at the end.

Ardyn didn’t enjoy scouting around Lucis, the people were too somber lately. Which he did understand, their precious prince is most likely dead regardless of the King’s constant hope that the Chosen was alive. Ardyn snorted his mood plummeting as he reflects, his only way to die, to seek peace is dead. 

Wasn’t that just a real kick in the balls,  Bahamut had always been a filthy liar especially when it came to Ardyn, he sighs and just stops walking. He is much too tired to carry on, he looks around and considers the uncharted land from his place on the shore. The cold blue waves lapping at the rocks scattered around, Ardyn blinks, rocks?

He pauses to look around a bit more noticing the trail of rocks and some scraps of cloth there. Ardyn cocked his head, a crooked smile crossing his lips, and followed the trail. Curiosity has always been his doom, and he’s already a living dead what more could he possibly lose.

What could he also gain, following the trail of an apparent mad man on the shores of the dead  sea?

Ardyn hums as he walks, his mother’s lullaby now twisted with his bitterness and age, kicking the obviously discarded rocks out of his path. Making it hard for someone else to follow him, and letting the sea water lap at his feet. The push pull  reminiscent to the feeling of adventure he used to have.

The further down the beach he walks the louder a voice gets, young and female and very obviously annoyed.

Ardyn feels the smile stretch from the weight of the daemons living beneath his skin, something young to enjoy, to corrupt. Ardyn cracks his neck and pushes down the snarl of the thousands of daemons living in his flesh, now was not the time for reckless murder, now was the time of learning.

What would someone so young, with so much of her life left to live, be out here for?

He walks around an outcropping to the view of a blond young woman snarling at what appears to be a poorly constructed raft. Ardyn smiles amused, “And where? Do you plan to go with that?”

The young woman whirls around a gun being brought up, and Ardyn smiles even further. “Smart girl, bringing a gun and keeping it ready.”

Ardyn holds out his hands showing that he has no weapons, and that he means no harm at the current moment. The woman slowly lowers the gun so it’s not pointing at his face but doesn’t let go of it and Ardyn has to commend her for her thought of safety.

He slowly gestures at the raft, “Well?”

She scowls at him and jerks her head in the direction behind her, “Across. What’s it to you, old man?”

Ardyn blinks at her stupidly, wondering if perhaps he was wrong about her smarts. “Across the dead sea?”

“It’s not dead,” she hisses. “But yes. Across the dead sea.”

Ardyn takes a few steps backwards and scratches his head in confusion, “Can I ask why?”

She considers him and holsters the gun onto her hip, “Only if you give me your name.”

Ardyn winces beneath his layers of clothes, “Ardyn.”

It was her turn to blink stupidly at him, “Like... like the Chancellor of  Niflheim , Ardyn?”

“Unfortunately.” Ardyn sighs, adjusting his favorite hat.

The woman nods and gestures to herself, “I’m Cindy.”

She turns back to the raft, “And I want to cross the sea because the Tide Mother stated my king needs me.”

Ardyn blinks, when did the  Astral's start appearing to mortals he thought they were still sleeping, and tilts his head confusion  evident in his  features. “Your King?”

Cindy smiles at him, something cold and bitter, “You would know him as the missing Prince.”

Ardyn inhales sharply and jerks his vision to the horizon across the sea, “He’s alive.”

Cindy laughs at him, “You can come with.”

Ardyn looks back at her and then to the raft, “I will secure us a proper boat then, something that won’t tip the moment the Tide Mother rages with the Storm Father.”

Cindy just smiles at him in agreement, and Ardyn nods to her. Turning on his heels, something like purpose filling his every step.

~

Luna sighs and looks up from her book. Once again alone in the library room, her messengers vanishing without so much of a word to notify her that she was leaving. Ravus looks up from his book at her sigh and frowns, “Again?”

Luna closes her book and tries to ignore the fact that Umbra and  Pyrna were also gone, “Apparently.”

Ravus shakes his head as she gets up, “I will see you at dinner then sister.”

She gives him a nod as she passes, making her way to the roof of Tenebrae Castle, hoping to get some answers this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be afraid to come join me, https://discord.gg/CJxtdx5


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